Silent Coffee

Korrin B.

March 6, 2011 - 6:15 PM

As an extra credit option this term in my sign language class, we had the opportunity to attend one of many events throughout the term that involve the Deaf community. One of these is a monthly Silent Coffee that happens the first Friday of every month at Eugene Coffee Company. This past Friday, a classmate and I decided to attend this event. At first, we weren't really sure what to expect and were a little nervous that our signing wasn't good enough to communicate with a room of fluent Deaf signers. However, once we got there, all of our fears went away and it turned out to be a very positive experience!

Eugene Coffee Company is not a large place. Therefore, it made the atmosphere even livelier when we waked into the building to find a crowded, yet quiet room filled with animation. I had to smile when I saw the little kids running around and signing to their parents and friends. They were completely adorable! All of the workers at the coffee shop were also well adapted to the change in language. When I ordered my coffee, I was able to sign with the woman about what I wanted. It was neat that there was such great access available there to the Deaf community.

Everyone was very friendly as well. I recognized some of the people there from a performance that had been put on in my ASL class by a local Deaf choir. I was able to walk up to them and introduce myself and talk with them a bit. I realized that I have learned a lot more sign language than I thought I had when I was put into this environment where that was the type of communication I needed to use. I was also able to rely on fingerspelling techniques when I didn't know the sign for something I wanted to say. Fluent signers were very nice as well and would slow down their signing and fingerspelling for me so that I was able to catch it better.

At the end of the night, our teacher from ASL class showed up, so we were able to go sign with him a bit as well and share our experience. It was neat to get to chat with him out of class and I think he enjoyed seeing us there as well.

At closing, the workers flashed the lights to alert everyone that they would be closing soon. When we all left the building, it was neat because for a while, everyone still stood outside under the one available light and just kept signing to each other. I remembered this book we had read last year in the first-year sign language series called Train Go Sorry. In it, there is a scene where after a place closes, the Deaf group stands outside under a light for hours longer, just signing and talking with each other. The book explained this with the fact that hearing culture creates so many barriers for the Deaf community. So, when they are able to get together and be in this comfortable environment, it is hard for them to want it to end.

I met a lot of inspiring and fun members of Eugene's Deaf community on Friday and I definitely want to try and go to more events now. It was wonderful to break down that initial fear of not being able to communicate and then getting to meet a bunch of people while practicing my signing.